Palestinians Protests Turn Deadly

Last week, the Trump administration completed the relocation of the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This move means that the U.S. formally acknowledges Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and angered Palestinians, who believe that Jerusalem rightfully belongs to them. The embassy relocation added fuel to the fire of demonstrations that have been going on at the Israel-Gaza border fence since March 30, with deadly results.

How Did We Get Here?

In 1947, in response to the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust, the United Nations decided on a plan to create a Jewish state and an Arab state from Palestine. The Jewish state became Israel. Since then, Israel and Palestine have fought violently over land that both groups feel belongs to them.

The protests which have taken place since March 30 are part of a six-week nonviolent protest called the Great March of Return, in which tens of thousands of Palestinians gather near the Israeli border to demand access to the lands that were taken from them when Western powers created Israel in 1948. When Trump announced the movement of the U.S.’s Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, it made an already volatile situation much worse.

Riots or Protests?

Palestinians protested last Monday at the Israel-Gaza border fence, storming the fence while the Israeli military fought back with tear gas and ammunition. The Israeli response left at least 58 Palestinian men, women, and children dead, and thousands more wounded. By Tuesday morning, the death toll had risen to 60.

The Israeli Defense Forces argue that at least 24 of the Palestinians killed were known terrorists: some affiliated with Hamas (a militant group that is currently the leading organizational authority in the Gaza territory), and some with another terrorist group, Islamic Jihad. While the Israeli authorities referred to Monday’s demonstration as “violent riots,” however, Palestinians insist that they were “peaceful protests.”

The deadly demonstrations happened to fall on the eve of the Nakba, the 70^th anniversary of the date that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were removed from their homes for the creation of Israel in 1948.

The World Responds

Representatives of the United Nations (UN) spoke out against Israel’s response. According to international law, the use of deadly force is only appropriate as a last resort in the face of loss of life or serious injury. As a result, the UN has called for an independent investigation of all of the deaths resulting from the demonstrations since March 30. Since that time, a total of 112 Palestinians have been killed, including 14 children. Thousands more have been wounded.

While the White House defended the actions of Israeli soldiers, French president Emmanuel Macron was the only Western leader to directly condemn them. South Africa and Turkey protested by withdrawing their ambassadors from Israel.

Leaders of Hamas stated that they were grateful for international sympathy for their cause, but warned that peaceful protests could again escalate into violence if nothing is done to address the 11-year-old blockade of Gaza by the Israelis. In the meantime, Hamas plans to continue its protests every Friday.

Dig Deeper What does the word “Nakba” mean in Arabic? Why do you think Palestinians use this word to describe the creation of Israel?